Water valve with drainage attachment



Aug. 26, 1958 R. B. M CANN WATER VALVE WITH DRAINAGE ATTACHMENT FiledFeb. 23, 1956 i I o INVENTOR fiBMb-C'ann BY 204mm ATTORNEY United StatesPatent Ofifice 2,849,024 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 2,849,024 WATER VALVEWITH DRAINAGE ATTACHMENT Robert B. McCann, Three Oaks, Mich. ApplicationFebruary 23, 1956, Serial No. 567,245 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-596.2)

This invention relates to a novel construction of water valve includinga drainage attachment which is opened by the closing of the valve topermit drainage of water from the outlet portion of the valve, and whichdrainage attachment is closed by movement of the valve to an openposition.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide adrainage attachment for the casing of a water valve which is disposed tocompletely drain the outlet portion of .the valve casing when the valveis closed to prevent freezing of water which would otherwise accumulatetherein and which frequently prevents reopening of the valve.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal substantially central sectional View of thewater valve equipped with the drainage attachment; 7

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View thereof, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the valve, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the water valve in itsentirety is designated generally 5 and includs a casing, designatedgenerally 6, of substantially inverted T-shaped cross section, thebottom portion of which has one end defining an inlet 7 and an oppositeend defining an outlet 8. The upstanding portion 9 of the casing 6 ispreferably disposed intermediate of the ends 7 and 8 and includes aninternally thickened upper portion 10 having a centrally disposedthreaded bore 31. Said upper portion 19 is externally threaded as seenat 32 at its upper end.

The casing 6 has an internal conduit portion 11 one end of which mergeswith theinlet end 7, and the other end of which is disposed in anupright position beneath the upright portion 9 and includes a restrictedoutlet end 12 having an annular concave flared upper portion 13 forminga valve seat. Said last mentioned upstanding outlet end portion 14 ofthe conduit 11 is of circular cross section, as best seen in Figure 2.An end of a conduit 15, which leads from a source of supply, isconnected to the inlet end 7 of the casing and an end of a conduit 16 isconnected to and leads from the outlet end 8 of the casing.

A valve 17 is disposed in the casing 6 and is adapted to engage the seat13 for closing the outlet port 12. The valve 17 has an upstanding stem18 including a threaded part 19 which is located adjacent thereto andwhich extends threadedly through the central portion of the head 20 of acage-like actuating member 21. The stem 18 has an externally threadedmember 22 fixed thereto, above the head 20, as by means of a setscrew23. A lock nut and washer unit 24 is mounted on the threaded stemportion 19 between the head 20 and said member 22 and bears against thehead 20. The stem 18 extends upwardly through the threaded bore 31 andat least a portion of the member 22 threadedly engages in said bore 31.A cap 25 is threadedly connected to the portion 32 and has a centralopening 26 through which the stem 18 projects. A handle 27 is secured tothe upper end of the-stem 13, above the cap 25. The cap 25 is preferablyprovided with a recess 28 containing packing 29 through which the stem18 extends, and which prevents leakage of water from the casing 6outwardly through the cap 25.

The cage-like member 21 has an annular skirt 30 which extends downwardlyfrom the head 20. The skirt 30 is disposed loosely around and extends tobelow the valve 17 and has its lower portion fitting turnably about thepart 14. The skirt 30 is provided with a series of circumferentiallyspaced openings 33 having lower portions which are disposed below thelevel of the upper edge of the valve seat 13, when the valve 17 is in aclosed po sition, as seen in Figures 1 and 3. The lower portion of theskirt 30 is provided with two external ribs 34 and 35, each of whichextends around a portion of the circumference thereof.

The bottom of the casing 6, adjacent its outlet end 8, is provided withan opening 36 around which is disposed a number of drainage openings 37which open downwardly through a fiat face 38, formed on the underside ofthe casing 6. While a plurality of drainage openings 37 have beenillustrated, it will be understood that a single drainage opening 37 ofa proper size will suflice.

A post 39, forming a valve stem, extends slidably through the opening 36and has a restricted threaded lower end 46 which is disposed below theface 33 and on the lower portion of which is threadedly mounted a nut41. A rigid washer 42 is disposed on the stem 40 immediately above thenut 41, ing washer 43 is disposed on the stem 40 above the washer 42 andbetween said washer and the downwardly facing shoulder 44 of the post39.

Two pins 45 are anchored diametrically in the upper 39 in spaced apartrelation to one from said post toward the adjacent portion of the apron31). An upper roller 46 is journalled on the distal end of the upper pin45 and bears on the upper side of the upper rib 34, and a lower roller47 is journalled on the distal end of the lower pin 45 and bears againstthe underside of the lower rib 35. The post 39 is splined to the casing6, as seen at 48 in Figure 1, to prevent the post 39 from turning in theopening 36 and so as to maintain the rollers 46 and 47 disposedsubstantially radially with respect to the apron 30, as illustrated inFigure 2.

A compression spring 49 is disposed loosely around a portion of the post39 and rests upon an inner surface of the casing 6 around the opening36. An upper end of the spring 59 bears against a washer 50 which isretained against upward displacement on the post 39 by the ends of a pin51 which extends through said post.

Figure 1 shows the main valve 17 in a closed position to prevent passageof water through the valve casing 6 from the inlet end 7 to the outletend 8 thereof. It will be apparent that water located above the valveseat 13 will drain outwardly through the openings 33 toward the bottomportion of the casing 6 in which the drain openings 37 are located.Also, as seen in Figure 1, when the main valve 17 is in a closedposition, the lower rib 35 by engagement over the lower roller 47maintains the post 39 in a lowered position so that the sealing member43 is spaced downwardly from the flat surface 38 to expose the drainports 37. Thus, any water in any portion of the casing except theconduit portion 11 can drain from said casing 6 through the drain ports37 and in this manner the valve 17 is prevented from freezing in aclosed position.

By turning the handle 27 in a clockwise direction, as viewed from above,the threaded member 22 will be screwed upwardly in the threaded bore 31and the valve 17 and the actuating member 21 will rise with said member22 for opening the valve 17, and so that the member 21 will actuate thedrain valve. drain valve is accomplished by the upper rib 34 engagingunder the upper roller 46 for displacing the post 39 and parts carriedthereby upwardly, so that when the valve 17 reaches an open position thesealing member 43 will seat against the surface 38 for sealing the drainports 37. Since the ribs 34 and 35 move in unison, engagement of theroller 47 beneath the rib 35 will not obstruct upward movement of thepost 39. It will also be apparent that the spring 49 will assist inraising the post 39. If desired, the spring 49 and the parts 50 and 51could be omitted, or if utilized, the upper roller 46 and its supportingpin 45 and the upper rib 34 could be omitted, since the spring 49 couldthen function to move the sealing member 43 upwardly to seal the drainports 37 when the rib 35 was displaced upwardly with the actuatingmember 21 away from the lower roller 47.

It will thus be seen that a drain valve of extremely simple constructionhas been provided which will open automatically when the main valve 17is closed to effectively drain the outlet portion of the casing 6 of anyliquid which might otherwise freeze and obstruct operation of the valve17. It will further be apparent that the drain valve will assume aclosed position when the main valve 17 is open to prevent any escape ofthe liquid through the drain ports 37 while a flow is occurring throughthe valve casing 6.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a regulating valve structure including a casinghaving an outlet end, a valve seat, a main valve movably disposed insaid casing, and manually actuated means for moving the main valve intoand out of engagement with the valve seat for shutting off the flowthrough the casing when said main valve is in a closed position; abottom-most portion of the casing being provided with a drain portlocated adjacent said outlet and below the level of the valve seat, saidcasing being provided with an opening located adjacent said drain port,a post extending slidably through said opening, a sealing elementsupported by said post beneath the drain port, an actuator connected toand movable in unison with said main valve, and elements fixed to andprojecting transversely from said post in longitudinally spaced relationto one another, said elements straddling a part of said actuator wherebywhen said main valve is moved to an open position and said actuatormoves in unison therewith said actuator part by engagement with one ofThe actuation of the said elements will displace the post inwardly ofthe easing for moving the sealing element to a position for sealing thedrain port and opening, said other element being engaged by saidactuator part during movement of the main valve to a closed position fordisplacing the sealing member away from the drain port, said manuallyactuated means including a threaded connection between the main valveand casing whereby said main valve and actuator are rotatable about theaxis thereof to effect axial travel of the main valve and actuator, saidactuator part constituting a segment of a ring, and said elementscomprising rollers.

2. In combination with a regulating valve structure including a casinghaving an outlet end, a valve seat, a main valve movably disposed insaid casing, and manually actuated means for moving the main valve intoand out of engagement with the valve seat for shutting off the flowthrough the casing when said main valve is in a closed position; abottom-most portion of the casing being provided with a drain portlocated adjacent said outlet and below the level of the valve seat, saidcasing being provided with an opening located adjacent said drain port,a post extending slidably through said opening, a sealing elementsupported by said post beneath the drain port, an actuator connected toand movable in unison with said main valve, and elements fixed to andprojecting transversely from said post in longitudinally spaced relationto one another, said elements straddling a part of said actuator wherebywhen said main valve is moved to an open position and said actuatormoves in unison therewith said actuator part by engagement with one ofsaid elements will displace the post inwardly of the casing for movingthe sealing element to a position for sealing the drain port andopening, said other element being engaged by said actuator part duringmovement of the main valve to a closed position for displacing thesealing member away from the drain port, said actuator part comprising aring segment, said elements comprising rollers, said ring segment beingmovable in a direction parallel to the direction of sliding movement ofsaid post by rotational movement of the ring segment about the axis ofsaid ring segment where'by movement of the ring segment in one directionwill cause said cam to bear against one of said rollers to displace thepost in a direction to cause said sealing element to engage and seal thedrain port and opening and movement of the ring segment in the op.-posite direction will cause movement of the post in the oppositedirection to displace the sealing element away from and out ofengagement with the drain port and opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS262,997 Tomlinson Aug. 22, 1882 809,063 Jacobs Jan. 2, 1906 1,210,242Williams Dec. 26, 1916 1,634,075 Larsen June 28, 1927 2,212,302 MorganAug. 20, 1940

